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Revealed: The 2024 Porsche Cayenne has had a dramatic mid-cycle refresh

Porsche’s updated SUV now comes with more performance, more tech features, and a more expensive starting price tag

Joel Patel
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Automakers give vehicles a mid-cycle refresh when they’re not ready to introduce an all-new model, but want to keep their option relevant with a few changes. Most of the time, the changes are minor – new headlights, some new tech features, and a slight bump in power. The changes that Porsche made to the 2024 Cayenne are far more extensive than what we’re used to seeing with a normal mid-cycle refresh. Porsche’s got out its Dewalt kit and upgraded nearly every aspect of the Cayenne and Cayenne Coupe for the upcoming 2024 model year.

The changes to the 2024 Cayenne’s exterior design aren’t nearly as thorough as the ones found elsewhere. The midsize SUV gets redesigned headlights, a new hood, and a revised front bumper that has some swanky air intakes. Redesigned taillights, an updated rear fascia, and a new location for the license plate on the bumper instead of the tailgate are the small changes that Porsche made at the back.

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Front end angle of the 2024 Porsche Cayenne driving down the road with a mountain in the back.
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Rear end angle of the 2024 Porsche Cayenne from passenger's side parked in front of mountains.
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Close up of front end of the 2024 Porsche Cayenne parked in front of mountains.
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Close up of rear end of the 2024 Porsche Cayenne parked in front of mountains.
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Rear end angle of the 2024 Porsche Cayenne and Cayenne E-Hybrid parked in a parking lot.
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Side profile of the 2024 Porsche Cayenne parked in a black studio.
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Rear end angle of the 2024 Porsche Cayenne parked in a dark studio from passenger's side.
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2024 Porsche Cayenne close up of headlights of an parked in a studio.
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Close up of front end silhouette from the side of 2024 Porsche Cayenne parked in a studio.
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Dashboard and steering wheel in the 2024 Porsche Cayenne from driver's seat.
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close up of transmission tunnel in the 2024 Porsche Cayenne from outside the SUV.
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On the inside, Porsche has dramatically changed the 2024 Cayenne’s dashboard. The SUV takes a page out of the all-electric Taycan’s book to come with three enormous screens that span nearly the full width of the dash. The center console layout is considerably different, with the traditional gear shifter and controls moving to have a slicker design. The gear shifter itself has been moved up to the dashboard – right next to the central screen – opening up space considerably on the transmission tunnel. The instrument cluster section of the dashboard that’s directly in front of the driver has been updated to have a half-moon look to it that we assume should improve the visibility of the instrument cluster.

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At the moment, the Cayenne is the largest Porsche SUV available and it comes with the digital real estate to back up its size. The SUV gains a fully digital instrument cluster that’s 12.6 inches in size. A 12.3-inch touchscreen is also standard, while a 10.9-inch touchscreen in front of the passenger is optional. The trio of screens feature the automaker’s latest Porsche Communication Management software that brings Apple Music and Spotify as native apps.

While design and tech features are part of the reason why someone would purchase a Cayenne, the main reason is performance. No other midsize SUV performs quite like the Cayenne does, and Porsche wants to ensure that remains the case for 2024 with updated powertrains. The Cayenne’s base engine continues to be a turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 engine, but it now makes 348 horsepower and 368 pound-feet of torque. These are improvements of 13 horsepower and 36 pound-feet of torque over last year.

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Front end angle of the 2024 Porsche Cayenne S from the driver's side parked in a studio.
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Side profile of the 2024 Porsche Cayenne S parked in a dark studio.
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Rear end angle of the 2024 Porsche Cayenne S from the passenger's side parked in a dark studio.
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2024 Porsche Cayenne S dashboard from front passenger's seat.
Front end angle of the 2024 Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT parked in front of mountains.
Front end angle of the 2024 Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT driving down the road.
2024 Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT rear end angle from passenger's side in a dark studio.
Front end angle of the 2024 Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT from the driver's side in a dark studio.

A more dramatic change comes for the Cayenne S, which drops the twin-turbo 2.9-liter V6 engine for a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8. The eight-cylinder engine is rated at up to 468 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque. Despite its hefty size, the Cayenne S can still get to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds. The range-topping Cayenne Turbo GT also gets a twin-turbo V8, but in the sporty SUV, it’s been tuned to make 650 horsepower. Keep the throttle pinned from a standstill and the Cayenne Turbo GT can get to 60 mph in 3.1 seconds.

If you’re more interested in something that sips fuel instead of getting into an SUV that guzzles it down, the Cayenne E-Hybrid PHEV will continue to be available. It’s been updated with a more powerful electric motor that’s rated at 174 horsepower instead of 134. That figure raises the electrified SUV’s output up to 464 horsepower.

Porsche also fit the SUV with a larger battery pack that now has 20.6 kWh of usable capacity compared to 14.3 kWh. Porsche hasn’t provided an all-electric range for the 2024 model yet, but the PHEV should be able to travel more than 17 miles than the current SUV. On the charging front, the Cayenne E-Hybrid PHEV should be able to charge at a quicker rate thanks to a new 11-kW onboard charger.

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Front end angle of the 2024 Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid driving down the road in front of buildings.
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Rear end angle of the 2024 Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid from the passenger's side in front of mountains.
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2024 Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid side profile parked in front of a sunset.
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2024 Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid side profile of SUV driving down the road.
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One would assume that this would be more than enough of an update for a mid-cycle refresh, but Porsche has also made a few changes to the SUV’s chassis. The SUV comes with larger wheels, the brand’s PASM adaptive dampers are now standard, and the torque-vectoring and rear-axle steering systems have been updated.

Porsche will continue to offer the 2024 Cayenne in a traditional SUV body, as well as a coupe model. Pricing for the updated Cayenne starts at $80,850, which represents an increase of $7,200 from 2023. The range-topping Cayenne Turbo GT will cost $197,950 without any options. Look for the Cayenne to arrive at dealerships this summer.

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Joel Patel
Joel Patel
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Joel Patel is a Northern Virginia native that became enamored with cars at a young age when he was tasked with holding the…
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